Why Golf In The Olympics Might Look Different Next Time At LA 2028

Golf made its return to the Olympics in Rio in 2016 after a 112-year absence, but not everyone welcomed the decision and rushed to find out how they could qualify.

Dustin Johnson was the first player to pull out of Tokyo 2020, deciding to put all his efforts into the FedEd Cup Playoffs.

He's not the only player to have shunned the extravaganza before now.

Rory McIlroy pulled out due to fears of the Zika virus prior to Rio 2016, but he’d changed his mind about golf’s place in the Olympics when he teed it up in Tokyo.

“I made some comments before that were probably uneducated and impulsive,” he said.

“But coming here experiencing it, seeing, feeling everything that goes on, not just Olympic golf but just the Olympics in general, that sort of Olympic spirit's definitely bitten me and I'm excited how this week's turned out and excited for the future."

Jon Rahm, who will he hoping to notch a gold for Spain, offered his take prior to winning LIV Golf’s latest event, LIV Golf UK, at the JCB Golf & Country Club in Staffordshire.

“It is a different answer I would say for a lot of golfers. It is not something we grew up knowing was a possibility,” said the 2023 Masters champion.

“I think for us competing it is one of the most impressive feats in sport. To win a gold medal is something only a few people in history are able to do.”

There are a number of reasons why people scoff at golf’s place in the Olympics.

That it’s not the pinnacle of the sport – those would be the Major Championships – and that it should be for amateur golfers, not mega rich professionals, are among those.

The Olympic golf format, regular 72-hole strokeplay, has also been questioned, with many critics suggesting that this should be changed to better showcase the sport.

This is where we could see a change for golf in four years’ time, when the sport will be in the Olympics for the fourth consecutive time.

In Paris this year, the format for both the men and women will be 72-hole strokeplay, but another contest could be added.

The International Golf Federation (IGF), the governing body for golf in the Olympics, has confirmed reports from earlier this year that a proposal was made to the International Olympic Committee for a mixed golf event in Los Angles.

The proposal was for 16 teams of two playing 36 hole, one round of foursomes and one round of fourball better ball.

It is “likely” that each country would only have one team to allow for the “broadest possible representation”.

Individual events would still take place, with fields of 60 men and 60 women, and teams would be decided from the individuals who qualified via the Olympic Golf Ranking.

The proposed mixed event would be played on the Sunday and Monday between the men's and women's individual events, which would see the men's four-day contest moved back a day.

IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon believes the LA 2028 organizers are “fully supportive” of the mixed format, and top male and female pros are also in support.

“At the beginning of next year, they should make the decision as to what events will be in the program for LA” he said.

“And we're hoping that the fact that there's no additional athletes and no additional resources required that the mixed event would be approved by them, especially given the support of the organizing committee.”

Last year, the Grant Thornton Invitational became the first mixed team event since 1999, and it received a lot of positive reviews from PGA and LPGA Tour players.

Jason Day and Lydia Ko, both former World No.1’s. teamed up to win the first mixed event of the century.

This year’s tournament is scheduled for to take place in Naples, Florida in December, and it's likely that the topic will resurface.